


Eye Will Always Remember You

by TheForeverGirl



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: After Chairmen Election, Canon? Don't Know Her, Gen, M/M, No Black Whale, Original Character(s), Pairo’s eyes, Slow Burn, The Phantom Troupe are dead, Trans Character, Trans Kurapika, chrollo is a bastard and I hate him, surgery mentioned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:02:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28183611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheForeverGirl/pseuds/TheForeverGirl
Summary: "What is it you want?"“I really thought it would be obvious by now, but I suppose your anger clouds your mind. I don't plan on loosening a pair of eyes tonight.”Kurapika realizes what Chrollo means and stands back as it sets in. “You want mine…”"An eye for an eye."-----Kurapika makes a deal with the devil, but Leorio makes an even bigger one.
Relationships: Kurapika & Leorio Paladiknight, Kurapika/Leorio Paladiknight
Comments: 1
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a roleplay I did.

Moonlight pours in through cracked stained-glass windows of the abandoned cathedral casting a dark rainbow on the scene that lay before. But out of all the colors that lit the room, red stood out the most.

All Kurapika could see was red, he struggled to stand up as he holds his chained right arm to his chest. Pain ran through the arm with ever tiny movement, it was useless now not even his chains worked. 

A stray beam of white moonlight lead down to an alter with a vat of Kurta clan eyes, the last pair. Pairo's detached eyes slowly float up and down out of sync upon the alter. Kurapika couldn’t be sure if the eyes were truly Pairo’s, but deep down his soul told him these were the eyes of his childhood best friend.

But Kurapika could not reach the last of his fallen clansman’s eyes for a spider guarded them and Kurapika had fell into his web. Chrollo Lucifer, leader of the Phantom Troupe, stood tall and proud in front of Pairo’s eyes.

The older man looked Kurapika up and down and reveled in delight at his disheveled appearance. “You have been trouble for me for quite a while now. But even without my nen I could still take you and knock down your friend over there.” 

Chrollo slightly angles his head as to point to the other side of the alter were Leorio's body lays among broken pews, his chest rose and fell so he was conscious but unable to get up.

Kurapika walked on shaky legs forward and stood in between Chrollo and Leorio. “What do you want?” He was seething. Not only did Chrollo of all people have the last set of eyes, Leorio somehow got mixed up in all of this. What was Leorio even doing here and how did he find him? It was almost too much for Kurapika to bear. But he wasn’t about to give up, not when he was so close. He’d murder Chrollo in cold blood right in front of Leorio if he had to. He’d do anything to get Pairo’s eyes.

“You took my nen, killed my friends and now want to steal my prized possession. A better question is what do you want?” Chrollo said smoothly with a touch of bitterness.

“What do I want? Isn’t that obvious?” Kurapika stuck out his finger out at Chrollo. “I want you to suffer. I want every waking second of your life to be filled with dread—I want your nights to be full of unrest until you’ve driven yourself mad. I don’t just want you to die, I want you to die knowing you lost.” Kurapika took one step forward. “Hand over the eyes, Chrollo.”

Chrollo paused for a moment cocking his head to the side then a smirk grew on this face. "Do you know how many times I've been threatened? How many people wanting revenge want me to suffer or die?"

Kurapika didn’t even dignify that comment with a response.

"Too many, kid." He chuckles. "As for the eyes, that would be a no. These are my favorite pair."

That enraged Kurapika. How dare Chrollo call those eyes his favorite. As if they were some trinket and not the severed body parts of Kurapika’s childhood best friend. 

“What would it take for you to give them up?”

That make Chrollo laugh harder "What would you mean? Are you asking for a trade?" Chrollo saunters closer to Kurapika "An eye for an eye so to speak..."

Kurapika shook his head. “No. I’m not giving up any of the eyes I have.” Kurapika took a step back, staring Chrollo down.

Chrollo follows Kurapika with each step back, "I think you misinterpreted my meaning." Close enough to tower over the younger man. "Do you want to know why those eyes are my favorite?" He nearly whispers in Kurapika's ear.

Kurapika holds his ground, unafraid. He stares at Chrollo and waits for an answer he knows he isn’t going to want to hear.

"To many the Kurta eyes are only valuable because of their vibrant scarlet color. But what they don't know is the reason for the color, the passion the emotion that brings out the color. These eyes belong to a small, blind child that despite everything showed true passion trying to defend himself. I admired that, so I kept the eyes for myself after killing him."

“You bastard!” Kurapika took a swing at Chrollo, landing a punch to his face. He was in a blind rage, anyway infuriated by Chrollo’s words. “You’re going to pay for what you’ve done to Pairo and the others!”

Chrollo stumbles back hand to his cheek and a large smile on his face, "That's it! That's the passion! If only you could see your own eyes! They are mesmerizing!"

Kurapika steps forward and delivers a kick to Chrollo’s face, his face almost as red as his eyes. “What the hell do you want with me? Hand over the eyes. Now.”

Chrollo wary at first catches himself before falling, he quickly grabs Kurapika's leg midair and flips the Kurta to the ground. "Careful, you don't want me to break your leg just like your arm?"

Kurapika lands with a thud and tried to push himself up, but his broken arm makes it difficult. “Fuck you,” he spits. “You’re nothing but murderous scum.”

“That makes two of us.”

Unbeknownst to the two fighting, Leorio silently crawled his way to the alter. He reached for the jarred eyes but disturbs a pile of rubble on the way up. 

That got Chrollo's attention. 

“Ah shit,” Leorio cursed himself.

“Leorio!” Kurapika runs and puts himself between Leorio and Chrollo once again. “Get out of here! This has nothing to do with you!”

Leorio pushes himself up on his knees "I'm not leaving you with this psycho!"

Chrollo scoffs.

“I’ve handled worse, Leorio,” Kurapika says. “Now go away before you get yourself killed.” He turns back to Chrollo. “What is it you want?”

“I really thought it would be obvious by now, but I suppose your anger clouds your mind. I don't plan on loosening a pair of eyes tonight.”

Kurapika realizes what Chrollo means and stands back as it sets in. “You want mine…”

“What the hell?!” Leorio yells from the ground, trying desperately to push himself up.

Chrollo closes in on Kurapika his movement isn’t menacingly as before, almost seductively, "You get it know," he hovers a hand over Kurapika's cheek.

Kurapika shies away from Chrollo’s touch. He thinks for a moment before closing his eyes and curling his fist he can still feel. “Very well....an eye for an eye...”

"Kurapika! Its not worth it" Leorio screamed from his slumped position on the ground

“I told you to stay out of it,” he hisses, turning to Leorio. “You’re not even supposed be here. You’re supposed to be in school, Leorio. Nowhere near me.” He turns back to Chrollo. “You can have my eyes if you agree to give over Pairo’s.”

Chrollo nods, “Yes.”

Kurapika knows that making a deal with Chrollo isn’t smart, but he’s desperate to get Pairo’s eyes. He extends his hand to Chrollo.

"A pleasure doing business with you,” Chrollo meets Kurapika's hand with an unusual soft shake. “See we can make deals without the use of your chains."  
Kurapika just eyes him. He turns his back to Chrollo and leans down to try and help Leorio up.

Leorio tries getting up himself to save Kurapika the trouble, "I'm fine, I'm fine. You can't be serious about this. I know you want the eyes back, but this can't be the way."

“Leorio, it’s okay.” Kurapika smiled sadly. “These are the last pair of eyes. I’d give anything if it meant getting them back.”

Leorio glanced over at Chrollo, "That's what I was afraid of." He puffs out his chest despite his injuries. "Hey, asshole!" He yells at Chrollo, "I'm coming with."

Chrollo looks Leorio up and down, "I suppose."

“He’s a doctor,” Kurapika says, “sort of. He can help.” He helps Leorio up as best he can with one arm. “Let’s get out of here....” addressed Chrollo. “You’re not busy now, are you? We’ll go make the arrangements now.”

Chrollo nods "I can make time. Would you want your friend to perform the surgery himself? You must trust him with your life."

Leorio shakes his head, “Even if I was certified, like hell would I preform a gruesome act!”

Chrollo scoffs "Then I have just the man for the job."

Kurapika sighs. He didn’t like the sound of having one of Chrollo’s men do this, but, he didn’t have any other choice. “Very well.”

Chrollo takes the vat of eyes from the alter and turns to leave pulling out his phone to make a few calls. Kurapika and Leorio alone in the crumpling cathedral

Leorio gently takes Kurapika arm, "Let me see the damage."

Kurapika doesn’t even flinch. He’s felt worse than a broken arm. “Leorio... why did you come here? You have to know how dangerous it is to get involved with the mafia, let alone Chrollo. Not to mention, I told you I didn’t want any of you involved.”

"Well," Leorio examines his arm as he speaks, "you wouldn't answer your phone or text me back, so I knew with a huge hot head like you something was wrong. " He rubs his hand up and Kurapika arm, "Yeah a broken humerus and maybe a fractured radius, can't tell with out an x-ray though."

“Leorio... I don’t want you involved but since you’ve made this your business...would you stay with me when I have the surgery?” Kurapika was nervous to lose his eyesight. To think he’d be blind from this point on....how ironic. He waits for Leorio’s answer, hoping desperately that it’s a yes.

Leorio was silent for a moment, he took Kurapika's broken arm and placed it over Kurapika's chest taking his other arm to cradle it "Hold your arm like this," he took a deep sigh "Did you hear what happened to Gon a while back?"

Kurapika winced as his arm was moved. “No,” he said, “I haven’t had contact with anyone since.... the last time the four of us were together in person.” He blinked, almost unable to believe it had been so long. “What happened to him? Is he alright?”

"Yeah yeah, he's fine now, thank god. Something to do with Killua's sister healing him, she's a good kid." Leorio doesn't look at Kurapika directly, "But before... He was I don't even know how to describe. Medically speaking he should have been dead; he was beyond healing. And even with nen healers there was nothing to be done." 

Leorio’s voice wavers as he holds back tears, “And then the damn election got in the way, and no one seemed to care about Gon, not even his damn father! I just kept thinking if I was there with him could I have helped him? Could I have stopped him from getting injured beyond repair?" He scoffed "Probably not, the kid is crazy strong and stubborn. But... I still could have just been there for him…"

Kurapika was silent for a few moments. “You’re too hard on yourself.” He sighed. “I don’t know what happened but I’m certain that you being there wouldn’t have made any difference. If it was a matter of Gon’s will, almost nothing would have stopped whatever happened to him.” Kurapika sighed again and started toward the exit of the cathedral. “Come on...we should leave this place.”

Leorio rubbed the back of his neck, sore from the fight, "What abandoned churches aren't your thing?" He looks over to Chrollo, who is still on the phone calling god knows who. "How do you know we can trust him? After he has your eyes, he could just take the other pair as well."

“We can’t trust him. That’s why I want you there with me at the hospital.” Kurapika shakes his head. “You’ll take the eyes from him before the surgery.”

Leorio nodded "Got it," Leorio still didn't want Kurapika to go through with this, but he trusted his friend no matter how one-track-minded he had become. "But you also need surgery on that arm of yours."

“Then take me to a hospital,” he said. He looked to Chrollo, then back to Leorio. “Leorio... promise me that you’ll just do as I say and not try anything...I’m sure of what I want. It’s not an ideal situation, but to get Pairo’s eyes...my own seem trite.”

Anger bubbled up in Leorio's throat, "T-trite?! Kurapika, I know how important these eyes are to you and I will do what you say," He placed his hands on Kurapika’s shoulder, careful not to harm his arm, "but I need you to know that you can't keep doing this to yourself. There are people that care about you, Gon, Killua, Melody, me-"

"Hey you two" Chrollo yells from a far "our car is here"

Kurapika almost says something, but he leaves it with a sigh. “We’ll talk about it later.” He walks off toward Chrollo.

Leorio lingers a bit, standing defeated his anger dissipates and slowly replaced with fear. "Yeah, later." He follows after Kurapika with a pain in his chest.


	2. Chapter 2

An unmarked car pulls up to the entrance of the cathedral, Chrollo took the passenger seat and held Pairo’s eyes on his lap. 

Kurapika gets into the back of the car and sits with Leorio in silence as they ride.

Leorio sits stiffly in his seat in the back, it’s not the first time he's had an awkward car ride with the head of the Phantom Troupe but god he hoped it was his last.

He found himself stealing glances at Kurapika, but every time he felt eyes on him in turn. Chrollo was not subtle using the rearview mirror as conduit to check up on the two of them.

Kurapika was busy watching the world out of the window. It was beginning to set in what being totally blind would mean. He’d need help with a lot of things for a while...help that he didn’t want to ask for. And where would it come from? Kurapika had no one in his life he could ask anymore. He sighed and glanced at Leorio to find the man already looking at him. He was going to miss seeing Leorio’s face.

At the connection of their eyeline, Leorio gulped and quickly turned to face out his window. He knew how important the eyes where to Kurapika, they were all that was left of his family, his friends, his clan. Leorio could only understand such a loss on a minor scale compared to Kurapika. Pietro was his best friend and when that preventable disease took him Leorio promise himself he would lose another friend if there was anything he could do about it.

And yet when he had looked into Kurapika's eyes a part of him didn't want to stop. His eyes were important too. Leorio swore right then and there he would find another way to get the eyes and have Kurapika keep his own

Kurapika just rode in silence, trying not to let show how nervous he was. Not only was he going to have his eyes surgically removed, the procedure was going to be done by one of Chrollo’s men. Kurapika wasn’t looking forward to this by any means. But somehow, he felt a little better having Leorio there with him.

Leorio desperately wanted to comfort Kurapika, he could tell that the other man was putting on a brave face. If Leorio was braver he'd reach over for Kurapika's hand, it would be so easy. But Leorio was not brave right now, only desperate. Before he put anymore thought into it the car jerked to a stop.

"We're here." Chrollo said unceremoniously.

Kurapika sighed and opened his door to get out. He looked around to see where he was, in case he needed to tell anyone where to find him. He glanced back at Leorio in the car, then shut his door and walked to Chrollo’s side.

Leorio gets out of the car as quickly as he can to catch up to the others. He found himself trailing behind Chrollo and Kurapika, the path they took was too narrow for him to be at Kurapika's side where he belonged.

Looking around Leorio could tell that wherever they were going was not going to be legit. The streets were too dark and there was no signage that pointed to a medical center.

He kept quiet on the matter though, walking forward he shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the back of Kurapika's head. Trying to formulate a backup plan if things go to shit.

Kurapika has a bad feeling in his stomach, but he continues walking. He occasionally glances behind him to make sure Leorio is still following.

Leorio nodded his head in solidarity with Kurapika when he would glance back at him a nonverbal, _I’m here for you_ or better translated as _Let's get the fuck out of here_.

Chrollo stops dead in his tracks, in front of a tattoo parlor. The three of them painted in red neon from the sign. "My guy is in here, shall we?" He gestures politely for Kurapika to enter first. Leorio is sickened not only by the gesture but by the idea of a delicate medical procedure taking place in a tattoo parlor??!!

Kurapika sighs and takes the first steps into the parlor. He’s hoping that they’re just collecting someone and that they’ll be going to a hospital soon, but he knows better. This wasn’t going to be a painless procedure. _Shit_. “Who exactly is this guy you’ve called?”

Chrollo follows close behind Kurapika and Leorio after him. "He specializes in tattoos of course but he has helped in this kind of extraction before.”

Leorio shivers at the word extraction, as if Kurapika’s eyes were tumors.

As the three of them walked deeper into the parlor the walls were adorned with examples of the tattoo one could get. Including a myriad of... spiders

Kurapika doesn’t want to know what that means. He already has a sick feeling in his stomach. “You’ll be handing the eyes over before the surgery,” Kurapika states. “Leorio will take them.”

Leorio gulps at the sound of his own name. Chrollo looks back at Leorio, looking him up and down, clearly not impressed. The dread grows large in Leorio's chest.

Chrollo looks back to Kurapika, "I don't remember that being part of the deal. We can do an official trade once your eyes are out. And I'll hold on to this pair," he holds up the vat containing Pairo's eyes, "Seems fair to me."

Kurapika stops in his tracks. “No,” he says firmly. “I don’t trust you. I want to see you hand over the eyes before you take mine.” He waits for a moment. “If you can’t agree to this, then the deal is off.” Kurapika would have to find some other way to get Pairo’s eyes.

Chrollo chuckles, "Its charming that you think you have more leverage over me. I allowed your _‘friend’_ to join us really out of pity." Leorio rolled his eyes at that remark. Chrollo once again gets too close to Kurapika, now looking down at the younger man "And frankly what makes you think I trust you?"

“I never said that I think you trust me.” Kurapika looks past Chrollo, trying to stay calm. “I’m only saying that I want to witness the transaction.”

Chrollo stands his ground and cocks his head curiously, "So be it." Chrollo shoves the vat of eyes into Leorio's chest with a force that he could barely keep up with. Leorio cradles the vat as gently as he could, precious cargo couldn't handle such force. "Are there anymore last minute details I should know about?" Chrollo asks casually.

"Yeah." Leorio speaks up, "I'm helping in the operation. I don't care who your guy is, I'm not leaving Kurapika's side."

Kurapika turns, surprised. Leorio was adamant earlier that he wouldn’t be doing the procedure, and now he refused to leave Kurapika’s side? Kurapika sent him a silent thanks and continued walking until they came upon a table someone was hunched over. “This is him?”

The man Chrollo had called on site at his table and looks up when the three of them enter. “So...who’s the lucky little Kurta that’s gonna get his eyes taken out?” He grins. “Name’s Sadaso. I’ll be cuttin’ out those pretty eyes a’ yours.”

Leorio steps in front of Kurapika putting himself in between Kurapika and this Sadaso guy, "Hi, names Leorio, I'm a pre-med university student here to assist you with the surgery. He may have broken humerus and fractured radius in his right arm," Leorio gestures behind him to a nonviable Kurapika, "but I don't know for sure without an X-ray, which I doubt you have here because this a fucking tattoo parlor and not a hospital."

Sadaso scoffed, ignoring Leorio he clears the chair. “So you’re the Kurta then,” he points to Kurapika. “Get over here.”

Kurapika moves to sit on the chair and winces as his broken arm is disturbed. “And just what training do you have, Sadaso?”

He replies with a smirk. “Been cutting people up for years. I know a thing or two ‘bout the human body at this point.”

Leorio grimaces at Sadaso bedside manner. "A butcher doesn't make a healer." Leorio makes his away to Kurapika side, Pairo's eyes still in his strong arms. "What are you doing to his arm?" He stands over Sadaso, examining Kurapika's arm protectively

“Wasn’t told I’d be fixin’ an arm,” Sadaso replied casually. “So I’m not doin’ nothin’.”

Kurapika turns to Leorio. “This isn’t exactly how I pictured the surgery would go,” he says to Chrollo. “I don’t know that I trust this.”

Sadaso holds up a knife and points it at Kurapika’s throat. “You’re not goin’ anywhere, Kurta.” He grabs Kurapika’s good arm and yanks him back, looking to Chrollo for the signal in case the man’s wants Kurapika’s throat slit.

Leorio just had had enough, things were going to shit fast. He charged his left hand up as he held tight to the vat. A nen line connected from his hand to Sadaso's knived hand grabbing it away from Kurapika's throat. "I don't think so, asshole!"

"That's enough everyone." Chrollo said calmly "Sadaso let him go. And I ask the same of you." He says directly at Leorio

Kurapika watches as Leorio manages to get the knife away. When he’s let go, he swiftly gets away from Sadaso and turns on Chrollo. He’s expecting an explanation.

"Sadaso, they are my guests, brash as they may be." Chrollo says passive aggressively, emphasize on the aggressive. Leorio could feel the tension still thick in the air. "But yes, this one will be your _'assistant'_ for the extraction."

“I don’t need an assistant,” Sadaso grumbles. He glares at Leorio. “He’ll just get in the way.”

Kurapika shakes his head. “When we made this deal, I was under the impression that the removal of my eyes would be done in a more professional setting. I’m not letting some stranger with a knife do this in the back of a tattoo parlor.”

"Well, as your friend has stated any legitimate Doctor would reject the notion, something to do with the Hepathic oath."

" Hippocratic oath." Leorio corrects.

"Indeed, but don't let Sadaso’s demeanor fool you, he's very capable of removing Kurta eyes. He's had a lot of practices..."

Kurapika really was going to be sick. He shudders and turns back to look at Sadaso.

The man waves at Kurapika and pats the seat for him. “I’ve even got somethin’ to put ya to sleep. You won’t feel a thing.”

Kurapika looks at Leorio, at Pairo’s eyes, and reminds himself why he agreed to this in the first place. He sits on the chair again and looks up at the ceiling.

"Wait!" Leorio stops Sadaso from grabbing the syringe needle. "Is that the anesthesia?"

“Yeah, why? Somethin’ wrong _‘Doctor’_?” Sadaso holds the syringe, waiting for Leorio’s say.

A plan was forming in Leorio's head, "Let me administer that," a very dumb and impulsive plan.

Kurapika felt a little safer having Leorio deliver the anesthesia. At least Leorio knew about the body in a medical sense.

Sadaso rolls his eyes and hands it over. “Boring part anyway.”

Leorio takes the syringe, he couldn't quite distinguish what was inside. He only had to trust that it would knock Kurapika for a few hours and not forever. He looks around for some sort of antiseptic in this dump, he spies a bottle of germ-x. God that will have to do.

He takes the bottle and a tissue box and rushes back to Kurapika's side, his hands beyond full with Pairo's eyes. Leorio kneels down on Kurapika's left side and placing the vat down on the ground. He takes Kurapika's non broken arm gently.

Kurapika breathes slowly. “Don’t let them fuck it up,” he says, half-joking. He closed his eyes and waited for Leorio to administer the anesthesia.

"Kurapika, look at me." Leorio said as softly as could hoping only Kurapika could hear him. "I need you to take off your suit jacket and roll up your sleeve."

Kurapika does as he’s asked, not thinking much of it. He hasn’t yet caught on to Leorio’s plan. Chrollo and Sadaso haven’t, either.

Leorio disinfects pulse point in Kurapika's elbow pit. "I have a plan." He whispers into Kurapika's ear. "If it works you keep your eyes and Pairo's. If not, then the trade will continue as before." He notices Chrollo's curious gaze on them, Leorio pulled away a from Kurapika's ear now eye to eye with the Kurta man. "I need you to trust me." He looked deep into Kurapika's eyes, he had to protect those eyes, project Kurapika. "I'll be by your side during the surgery and all the way until you wake up again."

He tried to stop his hand from shaking as he brought the syringe down to Kurapika's arm, "You'll feel a prick then I need you to count down from 10." Leorio takes a deep breath. "Trust me?"

Kurapika didn’t let it show on his face, but he was surprised when Leorio said he had a plan. He felt skeptical, especially because whatever Leorio was going to do, Kurapika would be asleep for, but as the man prepared his arm he nodded. “I trust you.”

Leorio nodded back and forced a small smile. "Ok," with that Leorio plunged the needle point of the syringe into Kurapika's skin and pressed down on the plunger. "Count backwards from ten." Leorio said softly looking deeply into his eyes, as if he was trying to memorize them just in case he fails.

Kurapika stares right back at Leorio as he counts backwards. “Ten...nine...eight...” he starts to feel himself drifting off, wondering what drug he’d just taken to feel tired so quickly. “Three...two...one...”

Leorio watches intensely as Kurapika's eyes flutter closed. He waits a breathless moment. He places a finger on the other man’s wrist, Kurapika's pulse was slow and steady but most importantly still there.

Leorio takes a deep breath in summoning all the courage he can, before standing straight up.

"Chrollo!" He yells louder than expected, "We're making another deal!"

Chrollo raises an eyebrow, "Oh?" Is that so?"

Sadaso begins preparing his tools when the two behind him start talking. He looks over the sleeping Kurta and then back to Chrollo, awaiting his instructions.

"Put down the cutlery, butcher!" Leorio address Sadaso without looking away from Chrollo. Chrollo motions Sadaso to do as he says.

"Well?" Chrollo asks, "what is it?"

 _Shit_ Leorio thinks to himself, _Didn't think I'd make it this far._

Leorio looked down on the sleeping Kurta.

_Fuck it._

"You are truly desperate, aren't you." Chrollo says smugly

Leorio didn't have to reply for Chrollo to get his answer.

"Let me guess, you want the Kurta not only keep his eyes, but the vatted ones as well. And you want for the two of you to walk out of here hand in hand Scott free?"

Leorio struggled to stay steadfast, _Hand in hand would be nice, but not a necessity_. Leorio's internal monologue rattled on as he imagines a happy ending for the two of them.

"You really do care for him don't you?" Chrollo smiles as he looks up at Leorio, who even thought was a few inches taller than the spider, felt small as ant.

"Sadaso," Chrollo calls back gleefully, "I can't use my nen, or my heart will literally explode. Can you do something about this with yours? I think it will suit their situation."

“Heh...” Sadaso puts his tools down and cracks his knuckles. “I can make it so this Kurta boy forgets anything you want, boss. Though I’m suspectin’ you want it to be the doctor man here, yeah? Makin’ the man he loves forget about him, hm? That’s awfully cruel, boss.” Sadaso laughed and laughed. “But I can make it so.”

_The man he loves?!_ "Hey now you got the wrong idea!" Leorio can't stop the blood rising to his face, turning his cheeks pink. "We're not like that!" Why was he defending himself from this topic, there was more important matters at hand. "And what did you mean by making him forget?" Leorio asked still defensive.

"Sadaso here is a renaissance man, a talented tattoo artist and quite good with a knife but his main talent and nen ability is memory manipulation." Chrollo says proudly. "He's made a lot of people forget important details in their lives."

“That means I can also access your memories, doctor boy. Means I know how special this Kurta kid is to ya.” He laughed wickedly. “So how much you think them memories is worth, boss? Two sets of Kurta eyes in exchange for Kurta boy forgetting all about doctor man?”

"Mmh actually, I'm feeling a little generous." Chrollo saunters over to Kurapika. "I still want the eyes of course." He places a hand on Kurapika's head brushing the blonde's fringed hair off the Kurta's face revealing his soft sleeping face.

Leorio blood boiled, "What do you want?" He grits out.

"I'll let you keep the eyes from the blind child and his eyes for now. But in exchange he forgets every last moment of his time with you, from your first meeting to this very night." Chrollo looks up from Kurapika.

Leorio couldn't believe his ears, how could he let this happen?

Chrollo held out a hand, "Deal?"

Was this really the better deal? Kurapika gets to keep both sets of eyes, something so precious to his culture. But how important was Leorio to Kurapika? He hadn't heard from him in months, no returned calls, left on read, not even a pity emoji. Kurapika has been avoiding him like the plague. Leorio swallowed the lump in his throat and stretched out his hand.

Chrollo grabs his hand for him and pulls him in close and "I'll even let you stay with him until his arm is healed. You can stay by his side and when he finally wakes up he won't recognize you."

Sadaso laughs more, finding the whole thing hysterical. He leans over Kurapika and the places his hands on either side of his head. “He’s got some powerful memories, boss...you sure you just want me to erase the doctor man? I could make him forget about what you did to his people, y’ know.”

Chrollo shakes his head, “No, I don’t want him to forget such an important memory of me.”

Sadaso laughs and watches the handshake go down. “All right, all right. Just the doctor....I got it.” Sadaso’s hands glow with his aura as he begins to extract Kurapika’s memories. It didn’t take long at all and soon enough, he pulled away with a grin. “There. All done.”

Leorio lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. _Was that really it?_

Chrollo lets go of Leorio's hand, "Thank you, Sadaso." The spider grins politely. "You can take him to a hospital now." Chrollo says to Leorio.

 _Was this his plan all along? This doesn't make sense_. Leorio picks up Kurapika with princess style with one arm and Pairo's eyes in the other placing them under Kurapika's chest, being careful of his broken arm.

"Oh, I should say this," Chrollo pipes him. "He won’t remember this night quite like it happened. He'll think he killed me for those eyes, he'll think that he's completed his revenge."

There it was.

That was the twist.

"So you can get the jump on him at a later date?" Leorio spit out but not wavering his hold Kurapika.

Chrollo only replied with a smile.

Leorio was sick, he had to get Kurapika out of here and to a proper medical facility. He turned away from the two monstrous men and let his legs carry him out the tattoo parlor.

Sadaso waved to Leorio off, “See ya, Doc.”

But Leorio didn’t hear him or didn’t want to hear him. Leorio only focused on the dead weight he carried in his arms.

_Kurapika, Kurapika, Kurapika,_ his mind chanted as he ran through the dark winding back alleys leading him to the car still parked where they left it. No doubt another part of Chrollo’s plan. Whatever, a car was a car.

The diver already had the back door open waiting for Leorio’s return, Leorio didn’t acknowledge them. Leorio took the vat of eyes from Kurapika’s chest and put them in the car first, careful not to damage them. He then entered the car still cradling Kurapika, the driver closed the door behind them before returning behind the wheel.

“Nearest Hospital. Now.” Leorio deadpanned, tried of all this nonsense.

The driver took off and Leorio let out a breath, they were safe, safe-ish for now at least. Leorio looked back and forth between Pairo’s vatted eyes and unconscious Kurapika. He did it he has both of them, his plan worked.

Leorio looked down at the young sleeping man in his arms, his soft features being lit by passing streetlights. He brushed away stray hair from Kurapika’s sleeping face the same way Chrollo had before, trying to replace the spider’s touch with his own.

When Melody had first called Leorio to tell him Kurapika had gone off the deep end, he expected the worst but seeing it was different. He probably was pushing himself too hard, not sleeping enough if the dark circles under his eyes were any indicator. He wondered if this was the first proper sleep Kurapika has had in a while, funny it only took drugging him.

 _Did I do the right thing?_ A dark thought passed through Leorio’s mind. _Would Kurapika be proud of me?_ It was quick thinking on Leorio’s part, but was it smart thinking? If Kurapika was awake in the tattoo parlor when Leorio made the new deal would he have stopped him? Kurapika was willing to give his eyes for Pairo’s, he said his eyes were trite for god sakes! How important were Kurapika’s memories of Leorio?

Leorio looked back at the floating Kurta eyes on the seat next to him, and he immediately had his answer. Pairo’s eyes were precious to Kurapika, all the Kurta eyes were, they were all he had left of his culture, of his people. But what Kurapika failed to see was that included his own eyes. Kurapika still had his eyes and more important was still alive so Leorio saw that a victory.

Leorio was nothing when compared to any of the Kurta eyes and he was okay with that. And now protecting and caring for Kurapika was his new mission, even if Kurapika wouldn’t remember him.


	3. Chapter 3

Several hours passed before Kurapika was awake again. He blinked his eyes open to find himself in a hospital room, his head foggy. He sat up, immediately feeling the pain of using a broken limb, and looked around the room. There was someone sitting in his room. He had dark hair and small round glasses and Kurapika has never seen him before. He looked more like a businessman than a nurse or doctor...that’s when Kurapika noticed the man holding eyes. The last pair. Pairo’s eyes. His memory was hazy, but slowly coming back to him. “Who are you?” He frowned at the man. “Why are you holding Pairo’s eyes?”

Leorio’s head shoots up, _Kurapika's awake, he's okay!_ He looks into Kurapika's eye, confusion and anger _and he has no idea who I am_. "Forgive me," Leorio sets Pairo's eyes on the side table. "Uh curiosity got the better of me." Leorio clears his throat and looks away from Kurapika gaze.

Kurapika slowly started remembering the fight with Chrollo. The fight he’d won. The fight that earned him Pairo’s eyes. Kurapika smiled to himself and looked at the vat containing the eyes. He was finally done...he’d gotten all of them, finally. But something was still bothering him. He looked over at the man sitting in his room and frowned. “And you are?”

_Shit_ , Leorio curses himself, _Why didn't I think of something when he was still out of it._ _Think of something._ "I'm here on the behalf of the Nostrade family." Leorio lied the best he could, "Think of me as a medical adviser for hire."

Kurapika frowned. He wondered how the Nostrade family even found him. And what did they do with Chrollo’s body? Kurapika wasn’t sure there were answers to his questions, so he just nodded. “Okay,” he said. “So, I guess I broke my arm, then. Everything else feels fine.”

Leorio sighs with relief, "That's good. What... what do you remember?"

“Well...I remember that I had finally found Pairo’s eyes...I remember Chrollo having them. We fought and...I killed him.” Even as Kurapika said it out loud it didn’t feel real. He couldn’t hardly believe that he’d won. “After that things get a little fuzzy...”

"You have a concussion," it was a lie, but it was a good cover up, "So that might explain some memory loss." It pained Leorio say, that the memory of their friendship could just be explained away by a medical condition. "You will also need to rest for a few weeks, just until your arm is healed." That was the truth though.

Kurapika nodded. “Now that I’ve completed my mission...I guess now is a good time to take a break. Maybe I’ll call some old friends.” Kurapika remembered Gon and Killua just fine. He remembered everything they had all been through, just...without Leorio there. He smiled softly to himself. “Would you hand me those eyes?”

Leorio nods, handing the vat of Pairo's eyes to Kurapika. "Here." He kept an air of professionalism, trying not to find joy in Kurapika's relaxed body language. Kurapika could finally rest, but it was just another lie. Sure, he had the last pair of eyes, but Chrollo was still out there waiting in the wings.

Leorio couldn't sit around, he had planning and explaining to do before Kurapika could reached the others. "I'll give you a moment alone." Leorio quietly steps out of the room, leaving Kurapika alone with the eyes. Leorio whips out his phone and dialed and waited, "Melody. Its Leorio, and I just did something real stupid."

Melody answers quietly. “Leorio? What did you do?” She’s worried because the last time she spoke with Leorio, he was going to find Kurapika, who was in a dark place. She hopes everything is okay.

Leorio explains the situation as calmly as he could, from the cathedral to tattoo parlor. "Kurapika and the last of the Kurta eyes are safe, but... he doesn't remember me." Leorio takes a breath, "Kurapika thinks Chrollo is dead but he's not I need you to inform the rest of the mafia gang of that. And that I'm now a medical adviser for the family, I had to think on my toes."

On the other line Melody is silent for a moment. She eventually replies with, “I’ll see what I can do...you two really are a handful, you know.” She hangs up then.

Leorio would have to agree with Melody. Now was the hard part, he had to tell the kids. God knows how Gon and Killua would react, but he had to do it now before Kurapika could get a hold of them. He couldn't hear their voices right now, texting would have to suffice for now, the coward’s way out. He texted Gon and Killua about the situation, Leorio is missing from Kurapika's memory but he still remembers them. Kurapika could be released from the hospital and Leorio will be acting as his medical advisor/nurse for some time. And that they could come visit if Kurapika was up to it and if they weren't busy.

Gon replied almost immediately saying he feels bad for Leorio and that he won’t say anything until Leorio does. Killua texts that Leorio is a dumbass but that he’ll keep quiet. They both obviously want to see Kurapika and Leorio, but, they’ll wait until Leorio says it’s okay to come visit.

Leorio sighed letting out a bit of his anxiety. They're good kids that have to have put up with a lot of bull shit in their lives. Gon current resurrection and his shit dad. Killua with his fucked up family and is now his sisters current caretaker. He knew that something recently happened between Gon and Killua, but they would figure it out. They were young and had time after all. He was excited to see them again, he desperately wanted to get the gang back together. Though the dynamic would be altered now.

Leorio looked back to the room that held Kurapika, he should give him some time. He'd find a doctor to see when Kurapika could be released.

Meanwhile, Kurapika sits in his bed looking over Pairo’s eyes like he might cry. He waits in the room, guessing he has to get a doctor’s okay before he can leave. He figures he’ll just go back to the place he’s been calling home all this time. He has half a mind to give Gon and Killua a call, but decides to save that for once he’s settled in.

Leorio found the Doctor that did the operation on Kurapika's arm. She said it would be a day or two before Kurapika could be let go, he'd would have to take meds and rest his arm. Leorio thought as much, he also thought that Kurapika not using his nen chains for the time being was for the best as well. Though Leorio would be the first to admit he didn't know much about nen, so who knows. Leorio walks back down the linoleum hall to Kurapika's room. He stood outside the door fist raised to knock, but no connection was made. Deep breath Leorio hyped himself up, he gently wraps on the door.

Kurapika looks to the door and waved through the window for Leorio to enter. He carefully sets the vat of eyes to the side.

Leorio enters closing the door behind him. "Good news, the Doctor said you'll be released in one to two days. When we get you home, you'll be on bedrest and medication for a while." Leorio stands by the door frozen with anxiety.

Kurapika only nods at first. He’s still tired despite having just been asleep. After a moment, he turns to Leorio. “You can come in, if you want.”

For a moment Leorio doesn't budge from his spot by the door. But soon he walks forward, each step taken with caution only to stop a few feet away from Kurapika's bedside. "Your associate, Melody, has been informed of the situation. As well as your friends." Leorio tried to remain professional, he wasn't Kurapika's friend anymore, just some stranger sent from the mob.

Kurapika nods. “That’s good...” he lays back in the bed, too tired and sore to do much of anything else.

"Here." Leorio readjusts Kurapika's pillows as he lays down.

“Thank you.”

"I can keep watch if you want..." Leorio gestures to the eyes on the side table, but he really meant he'd watch over Kurapika. As if the deadly chain user needed protection, but Leorio selfishly didn't want to leave Kurapika's side.

Kurapika looks at Leorio then back over to the eyes. They’re too precious to him to let a stranger be in charge of them. “No,” he says quietly, “I’ll be fine to watch them. But you can stay in here if you’d like.”

Leorio thought as much, Kurapika had no reason to trust him with Pairo's eyes. Leorio nods, he grabs hold of the back of the chair and drags it near the door. He wanted to give both Kurapika space while also giving himself a full view of the perimeter of the room. Leorio hoped Kurapika could rest easy now that most of the burden on his shoulders now fell on Leorio.

Kurapika has half a mind to interrogate the man in his room. He’s never heard of a Leorio before. Then again, the Nostrade family could have hired any number of people without Kurapika knowing. He looks the man over, thinking that if nothing else, he’s handsome. It occurs to Kurapika then that with his mission completed, he finally has time to....live. He can actually enjoy relationships and have an active role in them. He can pursue other dreams of his. Did he even have other dreams? Maybe now he could find some. He smiles a little to himself at the thought. “So how long have you worked for the Nostrades?”

Leorio nearly falls out of his chair, "Uh not long," _Shit._ "I'm pre-med, and the mafia pays well under the table. So here I am." Leorio hated lying. _Did that sound good enough or just slimy?_

Kurapika nodded. He understood needing money. It cost him thousands to get all of the eyes, and though he doubts that Leorio’s pursuits are similar, he knows that everyone has their own struggles and wants. “And you’ll be watching over me until I’m healed, basically?”

"That's what I was told," the lies were just flowing out of Leorio now.

“And what about work? Am I to simply sit back and wait until I’m healed or what?” He sighs. “Perhaps now would be a good opportunity to resign...”

That was a good point, Kurapika reached his goal, he had all the eyes and all the spiders where dead. Well almost all. But either way Kurapika was free of his vengeful burden. Why stay with the mafia now? But how does one quit the mafia? "The rest I'm sure is up to you." Leorio just wanted the best for Kurapika, maybe now he can have it.

Going about getting out of the mafia wouldn’t be an easy process. And Kurapika knows he’ll never truly be out...the mafia will always have eyes on him, anyway. He was okay with that. He has no reason and no plans to betray the Nostrade family. “Could you hand me my phone? I’d like to make a call.”

Leorio nodded and reached into his suit pocket when it donned on him. What was on Kurapika's phone to prove they're existing friendship between. Surely not only did Kurapika ignore his texts and calls but deleted them too. "Here." He handed Kurapika his phone.

Kurapika takes his phone and goes through his contacts quickly to find Light’s contact. He looked to Leorio, then decided it was fine for him to listen. “Mr. Nostrade...I’d like to arrange a meeting with you. As soon as possible—I’m fine. A broken arm is nothing.” Kurapika nods as the head of the mafia family gives him a time and date. “Thank you.” He hangs up and sets his phone to the side. “So, you want to become a doctor I assume?” Kurapika turns to Leorio. He isn’t usually one for small talk but he feels like he should get to know the man that would essentially be with him at all times from now on.

Leorio had walked back to the chair by the door, giving Kurapika space. "Yeah, ever since I was a kid." Leorio remembered the first time he told Kurapika his motivation, they were running in the first trial of the Hunter exams. Now it was quite and distant. "I had a friend who died from a treatable disease, we were too poor for the cure." Leorio sighed he took his glasses off and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "I promised myself that I wouldn't let anyone have to pay to stay alive again."

Kurapika listens, smiling softly when Leorio tells him honestly what his reasoning is. “That’s noble of you...I hope you get to accomplish that goal one day.” Kurapika looks at the vat of eyes and frowns. “My goal was to collect all of the Kurta eyes....I’m the last living member of our clan.” It still hurt to talk about after all this time. Kurapika feels like he could cry. “The Phantom Troupe slaughtered my clan for their eyes and I’ve been working ever since I became a hunter to get them all back. Now that I’ve finally done that...I’m not sure what to do with myself.”

Leorio smiled softly, a soft of pride swells in his chest at Kurapika's praise. But rehearing the tragedy of the Kurta people told as though its new information made his heart deflate. Leorio had to keep reminding himself this wasn't about him, this was about Kurapika and his clan. "Well you can start by healing. In the medical sense with your arm and then after that the psychological way. Something tells me you haven't grieved properly."

Kurapika looks Leorio over. “Ever since I learned what happened, my only focus has been revenge. I haven’t had time to grieve.” He sighs, thinking about the losses he’s suffered. He won’t cry, especially in front of a stranger, but he feels his heart tightening. He doesn’t want to talk to anyone about his problems because they would never understand. He looks at Leorio again. “The world is full of unfair loss....your friend never should have died.”

If Leorio was being honest he didn't know how to grieve properly either. He was inconsolable when Pietro died, his mom said it was all part of a bigger plan. But Leorio knew that Pietro didn't have to die and Kurapika's clan didn't need to be slaughtered. There were people with power that abused not only the system but the people bellow them.

Not to mention all the shit the Gon and Killua have gone through because of the adults around them. And now Leorio found himself in another fucked up situation because of the powers that be. "Thanks, the only thing we can do is fight to make the world a better place. Its why I became a Hunter, why I want to be a doctor." Leorio looks over to Kurapika, "So what do you want to do?"

Kurapika sits in silence, realizing that he has no idea what he wants to do. “I suppose I’ll know one day,” he says, “but as of right now...” he shrugs, shaking his head.

"You don't need to know now, shit, you don't need to know ever." Leorio looks down at his watch, it was late or early depending on how one read the AMs. "But for now, you need some real sleep." Leorio sits up straight in the chair, cracking his neck. "Do you... do you want me to stay in the room? Cause I can wait outside if you want."

“You can do whatever you please.” Kurapika shifts to lay down, looking at the eyes next to him. “If anything happens to these, you will be sorry. I’ve killed for these eyes before and I’m not afraid to do it again. Even with a broken arm.” His words were cold and heavy, echoing in the silence.

"I know," Leorio sighs. It wasn't the words that hurt him, but how he said them. Kurapika's tone was directed to a stranger. Kurapika was of course capable of killing Leorio or anyone that dare come between him and the Kurta eyes, he had seen it firsthand. But Leorio also knew Kurapika was shit at taking care of himself, but under his care no one was coming even close to the Kurta. Leorio readjusts himself in his seat. "I'll stay." Leorio decided, selfishly.

“Good.” Kurapika leaves the vat with him and lays back. He closed his eyes and within only a few minutes, the sleep he’s been fighting off since he woke up takes over.


	4. Chapter 4

When Kurapika wakes up again, he feels much more refreshed, but in much more pain. He winces as he regains consciousness. “Shit,” he curses, looking at his arm. He checks to see if the eyes are still with him before noticing Leorio is still in the room. “Could you get me some pain medication?”

Leorio jolts wake, he wasn't sleeping! Just resting his eyes for a bit! "Got it!" Leorio jumped up from his chair and ran over to Kurapika's side. He looks at the near empty IV drip, "Yeah I'll flag down a nurse, I don't work here so I can't just take their drugs." Leorio looked down at Kurapika's arm, "Here," he gestures down to Kurapika's arm, "Do you mind?"

“Right,” Kurapika says. He looks at his arm when Leorio motions to it and nods. “Go ahead.” He figures that whatever Leorio is going to do can’t make things much worse.

"This might hurt," Leorio bends Kurapika's arm slightly. "Hold your arm like this," Leorio folds the Kurta's arm over his chest. "Keeping your arm straight for too long will cause discomfort. Bending it every so often will help." Leorio smiles as he does his examination. "Plus I think you slept on it." Leorio chuckles involuntary.

Moving his arm wasn’t pleasant feeling, but Kurapika let Leorio do so anyway. He was the pre-med after all. He should know better than Kurapika what to do with a broken arm. “Thank you,” he says, his arm admittedly feeling better.

"No problem," Leorio shrugs, "the nurse will likely bring in your morning meds with your breakfast. So your gonna have to suffer just a little more."

Kurapika sighs and nods. “That’s alright. I’ve been through worse.” He lays back and stared at the ceiling. “I think that as soon as I’m out of the hospital, I’d like to see my friends. I’ve been avoiding them for the longest time...”

Leorio smiled sadly, he hated how nonchalant Kurapika was when it came to pain. And even more depressing was Kurapika self-separation from his friends. Curiosity got the best of him, "Why avoid them?" He knew that if he asked before Kurapika's memory loss he'd get nothing, but maybe as a stranger.

“I didn’t want them involved in what I was doing.” Kurapika sighs. “They’re just kids...and I know they can handle themselves but that doesn’t mean I should put them in danger.” He looks over Leorio, not sure why he feels so compelled to talk honestly with this man. “So I just cut them out...I never told them where I was or what I was doing. If they couldn’t find me, then they couldn’t get involved. But I think it’s safe now to contact them.”

"I'm sure you did what you thought was right. But not speaking to those that care about you only make them worry more." Leorio knew he wasn't talking about Gon or Killua. "You’re not doing yourself any favors pushing people way. I mean look at you." Leorio gesture to Kurapika laying in the hospital bed, "This is what happens when you think you can go at things alone."

Kurapika frowns at the way Leorio talks to him. It’s like the man is talking to someone he knows rather than someone he’s just met. It’s crossing a line and Kurapika can’t help but get defensive. “You don’t get to decide whether what I did was right or not,” he snaps. “It’s not like I cut you off—only the people that were affected get to decide something like that.” He has no idea how wrong he is, how hurtful his words are.

_Ouch,_ Leorio had to remind himself that his bedside manners were too familiar. _Kurapika doesn’t know you, Kurapika doesn't know you._ Yet his reply still pissed Leorio off, "You don't have to know me to hear my advice." Leorio tried to keep his cool, "But what if you end up dead in a ditch and your friends learn that they could have helped you from throwing yourself in a self-destructive situation?!" Leorio couldn't help raising his voice.

Kurapika furrows his brows. “That’s hardly your concern,” he mutters. “You have a lot of nerve acting like you know what’s best for me when you don’t even know me.” He clenches his fist.

_But I do know you,_ Leorio thought wistfully. But before Leorio could open his mouth to reply, a nurse with a tray enters the room

"Excuse me, its time for your morning meds and breakfast." She says over the growing tension between the two men.

Leorio walks back to his chair by the door and takes a seat in a huff.

Kurapika looks at the nurse who walked in. “Thank you,” he says, sending one last warning glare to Leorio. He doesn’t eat. Instead he takes the medicine with water and turns on the tv in the room. Maybe background noise will help him.

"Thank you," Leorio says to the nurse with an ever-slight flirtatious smile. He may have complicated feelings for Kurapika, but that doesn't mean he can't appreciate an attractive person.

Kurapika notices the way Leorio flirts. It makes him a little agitated, though he knows it shouldn’t. It’s not like Leorio is his boyfriend or anything—the man is free to do what he wants. Still, Kurapika can’t help but wish he didn’t see that.

The nurse leaves.

Leorio notices Kurapika ignoring the meal and rolls his eyes. "Hospital food may not be 5 stars but you gotta eat something." Leorio says over some mindless court drama show.

Kurapika takes a breath and glares at Leorio. “It’s not the quality,” he bites, “it’s that I’m not hungry. Why don’t you mind your business and let me be?”

_Yep, stubborn as ever_. Leorio rolls his eyes, "Because I'm a med student, and your medical advisor. Plus, your needs calories to heal. You at least need to try and eat more."

Kurapika wants to eat even less now that he’s being told to. He sighs though and takes the piece of toast given to him and eats it slowly. He isn’t interested at all in what’s on the television, but he pretends to watch it so maybe Leorio won’t get onto him about anything else.

Leorio watch Kurapika barely eat more, _stubborn bastard_. It got Leorio once again wondering how Kurapika has been taking care of himself the past months. Had he been sleeping well? Eating enough? Even now Leorio could see how thin Kurapika had become. His hair had gotten longer and would sometimes fall in his face hiding the dark circles under his eyes. Leorio couldn't help but stare at Kurapika and worry as the other man lay in bed and watched tv.

Kurapika eventually falls asleep, the medication making him drowsy. Leorio watched as Kurapika chest rise and fall with each relaxed breath until Kurapika drifts to sleep. _Thank god, Thank god he's asleep, thank god he's safe and thank god I'm here with him._ Leorio tried staying awake as best he can, he was after all Kurapika's only protection from whatever Chrollo was planning.

Kurapika slept for a while before he woke up again, deep into the evening in the evening time. He found that Leorio was still in the room. “Leorio...” he sighs and readjusts himself. “I should apologize. I have a bad temper...I shouldn’t have snapped at you earlier when you were just doing your job.”

Leorio thought he was dreaming at Kurapika's soft words. "It's okay, I get it you don't know me, so why would you listen to me?"

“Right...it’s not easy to accept help from people close to me, let alone a complete stranger.” Kurapika sighs, looking over himself. He can’t wait to get out of this hospital.

"I bet." Leorio sighed once again, one thing was still for sure Kurapika was a hot head, but it seems like he's cooled down at least a bit (for now). Leorio knew there was gonna be more arguments as he builds whatever trust Kurapika would let him have.

Around dinner a male nurse came in with nighttime meds and two trays for dinner. Leorio smiled and winked at the male nurse to hide the distaste for the tv dinner style food. Maybe if Leorio put on the charm he could get Kurapika and him extra pudding.

Kurapika thanks the nurse who brought in the food. He looks over at Leorio as he begins to eat the shitty food.

Leorio shovels leathery meat in his mouth and really tussles to chew. The nurse did return with two packs of pudding. _Score!_ After the nurse left Leorio gave both packs to Kurapika with a wink. "A spoonful of pudding helps the medicine go down."

Kurapika looks at the extra puddings and shakes his head. “Thanks, but I’m not really one for sweets.” He takes one to be polite but hopes Leorio will take the other back.

"No problem." Leorio takes back one of the packs, he didn't know that about Kurapika. Ironically maybe he would learn more about Kurapika in this fucked situation.

Once Kurapika’s finished his meal, he turns to Leorio again. “You can use the television. I’m not all that interested in it.”

"I'll just put on the news for now." He changed the channel by walking up to the tv, "Good to know what's going on in the world." Leorio turns to Kurapika, "You okay with that?"

Kurapika nods. He hasn’t kept up with the news in about a week. He wonders what all he’s missed. As the news plays, Kurapika feels his medicine trying to lull him to sleep. But he’s tired of sleeping. He wants to get out of this hospital.

Leorio noticed how Kurapika tossed and turned in his bed, he knew he was antsy to get out. "Hey, listen, you'll be out of here same time tomorrow night." Leorio said with a mouth full of pudding. "Then you can finish up healing at home."

The news droned on about the resent developments in the NGL and how new species of creatures were being found. Gon and Killua had told Leorio the truth about the chimera ants. The news quickly changed to a familiar location to an abandoned cathedral and three blurry figures entering a car.

Leorio nearly spits out his pudding but restrains himself. "I'm getting bored of the news," He gets up and changes the channel to animated show of a family selling burgers.

Were Kurapika not so drowsy, he might have realized what was going on. He might have caught on that there was something Leorio didn’t want him to see. But, thanks to the medicine, he was nodding off already. He tried to pay attention to the cartoon but the drugs soon lulled his weak body back to sleep.

Leorio watched as Kurapika was softly taken by sleep while the tv family shenanigans played on. Leorio watched the show until the it ended, and turn turned the tv off, Kurapika was fully asleep now. Damn they got the good stuff here.

Just another day and Kurapika would be out. Leorio would take Kurapika back to his apartment... but then what?

Leorio walked back to his chair, he looked back to Kurapika's sleeping face. Soft but still rough around the edges, it described Kurapika as a whole very well.

Leorio sighed, he dragged the chair to Kurapika's side he couldn't help himself, he'll move back soon. "You get better soon, you stubborn bastard," he adjusts Kurapika a bit so that he doesn't sleep on his arm wrong. "I'll take care of the rest."

Leorio sits down in the chair and finds himself drifting as he watched Kurapika sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

In the morning, Kurapika wakes to the sunlight coming in through his window. He shifts, groaning quietly from the pain and blinks his eyes open. “Leorio?” He notices the man is now close to him.

Leorio eyes blinked open from the sunlight but hearing Kurapika call out to him made him jerked him awake. "Ah shit!" The force of Leorio's kick back caused him to fall on the floor on his ass. "I was watching over you!" _Wait no._ "But not in the creepy way!" Leorio yells defensively.

Kurapika chuckles a little when he sees that the man is okay. “Well, I didn’t think you meant that in a creepy way until you said something.” He chuckles again. “Sorry to wake you.”

"Not a problem!" Leorio jumps up from the ground and dusts off his suit that frankly he'd been wearing too long. "How's the arm?" Leorio couldn't wait to change the subject fast enough.

Kurapika looks him over and smiles. “Still broken,” he teases, “but it’s doing better. The pain medicine is helping me manage.”

"That's good to hear." Leorio rubs the back of his neck.

Kurapika thinks for a second then. “Have you gone home at all since you’ve been here?”

“‘Home' is a bit far from here." Leorio's shitty studio apartment was less of a 'home' and more of a place to study and sometimes sleep. It was also cities away. "So no I haven’t."

“Oh. Well, you’re welcome at my place—assuming that’s where we’re going. Are they letting me stay in my own home or do I have to go to some sort of safe house?” Kurapika wasn’t exactly picky about where he stayed, he just hadn’t thought that it would be anywhere other than his apartment until now.

"Yeah, wherever you’re comfortable." Leorio thought that Kurapika would just go back to his place after he was released and maybe help him set up then they'd go their separate ways. But Leorio promised to stay by his side, "I'll stay as long as you'll have me, or until you get sick of me."

“As my advisor, I think it’s best you stay with me for at least a little while,” Kurapika said. “I have an empty room in my apartment that we could get a mattress for, so you have somewhere to sleep.” Kurapika figured that he should offer something more than his uncomfortable couch for Leorio. The man had been quite nice to him so far, after all.

Leorio smiles, "A couch will do if you got one, as long as I don't have to sleep in a that chair again." Leorio stretches his back followed by a chorus of cracking bones. "You don't have to buy a whole bed."

Kurapika shrugs. “Well, I know I don’t have to, but I can. It’s up to you.”

"Nah its good!" Leorio said defensively, he knew he wouldn't be staying with Kurapika long so he didn't want to put him out. "I slept in a tree for a week on a stupid island once, so I'm good with whatever."

Wait, Leorio just mentioned their time on Zevil Island during the hunter exam, that was a time they were together. Kurapika might get the reference but how would he remember it?

Chrollo never mentioned how Kurapika would remember things, just that Leorio wasn't there in his memory.

Was Leorio wiped completely, as if there was a blankness or a void?

Or did someone take his place? Would fucking Tonpa replace Leorio in their time in the hunter exams??!

Would it hurt Kurapika if he tried to remember too hard? That idea scared Leorio the most.

“You have? That’s funny...” Kurapika chuckles. “I’ve spent a few nights in trees myself. I guess that’s part of being a hunter.” Kurapika remembered his hunter exam well, but Leorio wasn’t in any of his memories. Where the man should be, it was just blank. A nothingness. Something Kurapika didn’t even have to think about because there was nothing out of the ordinary the way he remembered it. He saw the pensive look on Leorio’s face and tilted his head. “What is it?”

Leorio was pulled from his deep thought, "Nothing, I was just..." Looking in to Kurapika's eyes Leorio saw the brightness that shines when he smiles. But behind the light was a nothingness that took the place of Leorio. He truly was gone to Kurapika, never even there. "... Just remembering something."

_He doesn’t remember you._ Leorio really had to drill that idea into his head.

A nurse enters the room with the usual meds and breakfast, Leorio doesn't even make a move at them. His mind was on more important things to flirt.

Kurapika thanks the nurse for the medication and breakfast and watches as Leorio stands still and silent. Whatever he’s remembering, it must be heavy. Kurapika looks away as he takes his medicine. “Do you happen to know what time I get to go home?”

"Huh," Leorio snaps out of it again, finding him standing like an asshole on the middle of the room. "The doctor said you'd be released tonight probably before dinner. You'll get a prescription for the meds you've been on. And then you can heal up comfortably."

Kurapika nods, happy to hear he’s be leaving soon. “Alright,” he says. He yawns and stretches to the best of his ability.

"You must be eager to get the hell out of here." Leorio turns on the Tv and flips to the news. Nothing important to report, just the weather for the weekend.

“Yes,” Kurapika replies, “I’m not a fan of hospitals.” He finishes what he can of the shitty hospital food.

Time flies and by the time Kurapika is released, he’s itching to get away. He climbs into the car Leorio called and tries not to disturb his injured arm too much as he holds the vat of eyes.

Leorio slides into back of the car with Kurapika, noticing his discomfort in the other man’s arm. "Its gonna hurt if you move it too much." Leorio says reaching over and once again adjusting Kurapika's arm. "You have to keep your arm in the sling."

“I’m trying,” Kurapika says, shifting Pairo’s eyes in his other hand. “It’s not easy to get into a car with one arm while carrying something, you know.” He huffs as he tackles his seat belt.

"I told you I could carry them you know," Leorio scolds as he easily buckles himself in. Seeing Kurapika struggling with his own seat belt, Leorio rolls his eyes, "Here let me help you with that."

“I don’t need help,” Kurapika insists. He manages to get his seatbelt buckled just as the driver decides to take off. He’s irritated and in pain and he wants to prove he’s not helpless.

"Okay, okay." Leorio backs off with a sigh, _Yeah, should have seen that coming._ Leorio stayed quite the rest of the ride with a few glances directed to Kurapika just to see how he was holding up post hospital.

Kurapika was silent the rest of the ride as well. He was filled with dread when it came time to get out of the car, slowly pushing the door open. He got out fine, eventually. “Alright...I’m on the third floor,” he said, leading Leorio up the stairs. His apartment wasn’t nice, but there were worse out there. He unlocked the door and led the way inside. “Make yourself at home,” he said casually, hanging his key up at the door. “There’s not much here, though.” Kurapika’s place has only the necessities—no decor, no personalization...the living room had a couch and a coffee table. Kurapika wasn’t sure why he even had the table—he never used it. “Bathroom is to the right down that hall.” He popped into his bedroom to drop off Pairo’s eyes on his bedside.

Leorio looked around, Not much of a home, "Home sweet home, yeah?" Leorio shouldn't be talking his place wasn't much better, but at least he a house plant and a few pictures of family and friends. A special framed photo of the four of them after the Hunter Exams stood on his desk, as if to cheer him on as he spends many sleepless nights studying anatomy.

Kurapika comes back out to the living and watches as Leorio inspects his home. He frowns at the comment but says nothing.

"Do you have any food?" Leorio walks to the kitchen, "You have to eat something with the meds."

“I have some food,” he replies. He walks to the kitchen area and starts opening cabinets. “I have boxed dinners, cans of soup, I think I have some Lunchables...”

"... Lunchables?" Leorio states down at Kurapika. "What are, 12?" He thought of Killua and Gon hoping that they were eating better than their Kurta friend.

Kurapika frowned. “They’re easy and balanced,” he pointed out.

"How balanced is a small charcuterie board made for kids?" Leorio chuckles. "Soup is good for now, but when I pick up your prescription, I'm gonna pick up some things."

Kurapika reached for a can of soup, then another for Leorio. “All I have is tomato basil and chicken noodle soup. So take your pick.”

"But I'll stick with the classic." Leorio takes the can of chicken noodle soup from Kurapika's hand. "I'll get started you can go rest up."

Kurapika shook his head. “I can make it. All I’ve done is rest—I want to do something.” Of course, Kurapika soon realized that maybe making soup wasn’t the best thing to start with. He couldn’t get the can opener to work with only one hand, after all.

Leorio looks on trying not to have a smug I told you so look. "Do you need help?" Asking was better than just taking the can from Kurapika, gave the other man some dignity. But Leorio knew how Kurapika was felling, helpless and useless, he didn't want to rely on some stranger. "How about I make dinner, and you clean up after?"

Kurapika hated that he had to say yes. He left the man alone and went off to his bedroom. He came back with a pack of cigarettes and headed for the balcony.

Leorio wasn't much of a chef in the kitchen, a fact his mama would be ashamed to hear. But he knew the basics of any meal prep. But nothing was easier than canned soup.

Leorio glanced over his shoulder and saw Kurapika make his way to the balcony, however not noticing the cigarettes in his hand. 

It took him a minute to find the can opener, for a moment he thought Kurapika probably just used his nen chain to open the cans. But thank god after scouring the kitchen Leorio found it and also took notice of the sparse utensils in the kitchen.

Dinner was ready now, and Kurapika only had one bowl.

Great, cup of soup it is.

Leorio took a bowl of soup in one hand and his cup of soup in the other and walked on to the balcony.

Seeing Kurapika lean up against the ledge of the balcony taking a slow drag of a cigarette reminded Leorio of an old Noir character from one of those movies his Pop use to make him watch.

Kurapika definitely fit the bill of a Noir leading man; tragic past, cool, in the mafia, a desperate man on a mission and pushes his loved ones away. Maybe Kurapika might avoid the tragic endings that fell many of the Noir archetype.

Still, Leorio couldn't help but think how cool and attractive Kurapika looked, "Those things will kill you; you know?" He said setting down the bowl and cup of soup on a small rusted patio table.

Kurapika was making up for the fact that he’d been days without nicotine now by smoking two cigarettes in the time it took Leorio to cook. He was finishing up the second one as Leorio came out, and he did nothing to hide it. He knew Leorio would make a comment, and when he did, Kurapika just put the cigarette out in the ashtray. “Anything could kill me,” he pointed out. “Smoking relaxes me.”

"No, I get it," Leorio chuckles, "I use to smoke like a chimney, gave it up though. Now I drink like a fish when I'm off duty. We all have our not so healthy habits," Leorio blows on his cup of soup.

Kurapika felt more at ease when Leorio explained his own vice. He noticed that Leorio’s soup was in a cup and frowned. “Sorry...I never have anyone over, so I don’t need a lot of dishes.”

"Nah, you're living a bachelor lifestyle. Who needs two bowls anyways?"

Kurapika sat across from the man, glad that he at least bought two patio chairs. He swirled the spoon around in the soup and waited for it to cook off. “Well, that’s going to have to change if you’re living here. And...I want to invite my friends over some day now that I can.”

Leorio nodded in an agreement, "You could go on the patch, you'd miss the ritual but still get that sweet sweet nicotine." Leorio took a sip of the chicken noodle soup, which was more noodle than chicken. "And if you’re feeling up to it, we could do some shopping for what you need..." The domesticity of the statement almost made Leorio blush.

Kurapika thought about it. Shopping surely best sitting around doing nothing. “Sure, we can go shopping.” But first, Kurapika would have to actually know what he needed. Bowls, for starters. Maybe Leorio could help with that. “What kinds of things do you think I need?”

"Bowls for sure," Leorio lifted his cup of soup with a smirk. "Other utensils as well; spoons, forks, knives, plates." Leorio felt like a Sears catalog listing of kitchenware. "And where is Killua- ah- your friends going to stay? You said you didn't have another bed for your guest room." Leorio saved himself from naming their friends. "Cause this might be a long shopping list."

Kurapika thankfully didn’t catch Leorio’s slip up. He thought about each item Leorio listed. “So, I will be buying a bed. Just not for you.” He smirked and sipped his soup. “I’m kidding, of course. If I buy a bed, you’re welcome to it.”

"Thank you," Leorio held back an innuendo about being in Kurapika's bed, it seemed in poor taste even if Kurapika had his memories. "Maybe a plant while you’re at it."

“A plant?” Kurapika thought about it. Maybe having a plant would be nice—it was like a pet but without all the hassle that pets bring. And besides, Kurapika figured that he could finally call this place home now that he had no reason to fear he’d have to pack up and run away. “Maybe...I used to tend to a garden as a kid...I miss that.”

"Really?" Leorio asked with genuine curiosity. Kurapika didn't talk about his past beyond the genocide of his people, "What did you grow?"

Kurapika wasn’t sure why he was telling a complete stranger about his past when he wouldn’t even talk to Gon or Killua about it. Maybe that would change...maybe everything about Kurapika would change. “Vegetables, mostly,” his answer wasn’t explained beyond that. “I don’t know how to grow houseplants but I’m sure it can’t be that different.” Kurapika’s mother loved plants. She always took care of flowers outside of their house and small potted plants for inside.

Leorio shrugged, "The only difference is you don't eat this one." Leorio finished off the rest of his soup in a cup, "My mama had an herb garden growing up, she wouldn't let me go near it though cause I tried eating all the basil." Leorio chuckles at his own childhood antic.

“Why did you try to eat the basil?” Kurapika thought Leorio must have been a funny kid. He wondered if the two of them would have gotten along if they had grown up together. Kurapika finished about half of his soup when he decided he was done. He placed Leorio’s mug in his bowl and took the stack to the kitchen.

"Ah, I was starving and I my dumb kid brain though if basil tasted good in food than it would taste good alone." Leorio followed Kurapika back inside to watch over him as he did the dishes one handed and talked more on his childhood shenanigans. "They hung on our windowsill and one time me and Pietro nearly broke the pots when playing ball!"

When the dishes were all clean, Kurapika finally had the mind to change. His clothes were bloody and dirty (from the fight with Chrollo he assumed) and changing was a pain in the ass with a broken arm. “I’m going to put something else on,” he said before walking to his bedroom.

When Kurapika mentioned changing and walked off, Leorio thought of the challenge of doing it with a broken arm. "Do you..." _Fuck,_ He always left the room when the nurse would help Kurapika in and out of clothes to give Kurapika privacy. "Do you need help?" Leorio called from the living room.

Kurapika had the nurses to help him at the hospital. That was awkward but at least he never had to see them again. Hopefully. Now, he only had Leorio. Kurapika fought with his shirt for several minutes before Leorio called out to him. He sighed and begrudgingly called back “Yes,” and waited for Leorio.

Leorio enters the room with a waiting Kurapika. Leorio saw him struggle with the first buttons of his shirt and couldn't help but chuckle.

“I’m going to be able to do this myself soon, right? I can’t have you changing me every day like I’m an infant.”

"Maybe a few days, maybe a week," Leorio said as he walks over to the Kurta and placing his hand over to Kurapika's hand trying to unbuttoning. "And having someone help you doesn't make you an infant." Leorio started making his way down the rest of Kurapika's shirt.

Kurapika admittedly felt a little embarrassed when Leorio got so close to him. He didn’t want Leorio to see his chest—both because it was indecent and because of his dysphoria. He wondered if Leorio had even caught on that Kurapika was transgender. If he hadn’t, he would now. Kurapika shrugged out of his shirt as Leorio helped tug it off. “Well, it feels that way...” Since Kurapika’s clan had been massacred, he had learned to do everything alone. Cook, wash clothes, get a job, get a house...he did it all by himself. Accepting help now in his twenties wasn’t an easy thing to do. Especially not when that help meant some stranger had to see him naked.

"Well I'm here to help," Leorio gently pulled Kurapika's sleeve on his right side exposing his chest and his binder. Leorio didn't make a comment, he had know that Kurapika was trans since the Hunter Exam but didn't want to pressure him into coming out if he didn't want to.

And it was even more awkward now that Leorio was a stranger.

Kurapika was glad when Leorio didn’t comment on his binder. Kurapika was sure he could get out of that himself since he had one with a zipper.

Now it was it for the hard part, getting Kurapika's shirt off his left side. Leorio untied Kurapika's arm sling, and untie some of the wrappings. "How is your arm feeling?"

Kurapika winced as Leorio brushed his arm, a quick pain shooting through him. “It’s...fine. Hurts. But it’s fine.” He breathed through it as Leorio got his shirt off. “I can get the binder myself. Can you get me a shirt that won’t be too hard to get in and out of?”

Leorio saw how Kurapika winced and whined at the pull of his shirt, glad it was off now. Leorio was even more glad that Kurapika was able to take his binder off himself.

"Maybe not a shirt, do you own a house robe?" Leorio asked as he folded the bloody stained shirt. "It would be easier to put on and off."

Kurapika nodded, padding off to the bathroom. While there, he changed out of his binder and pants, though it was a struggle. He slipped his robe on, trying not to move his arm too much, and returned so Leorio could replace his sling. “Thank you for your help,” he said quietly, looking away.

Kurapika's averted glance gave Leorio a chance to really take him in. For once Kurapika looked comfortable, well as comfortable as one can get with a stranger standing in your room. But since Leorio met him Kurapika was always wearing traditional kurta garments or suits and disguise. But after eating dinner on the balcony, planning a shopping trip together, and ending with Kurapika in a robe. Leorio felt like he was in domestic bliss and wondered if Kurapika could fell it to.

Kurapika felt something familiar and warm in his chest as Leorio cared for him. It was in his gentle touches, his soft voice, the care he gave. Kurapika wondered if Leorio was this nice to everyone he met. Probably

"You should take your meds now, since you already ate." Leorio pulled a small capsule holding only two pills. "I'll pick up your prescription when you're asleep." He hands the pills to Kurapika and left the room to fetch a cup of water. "I can also make a list of what you need, and you can check it in the morning." Leorio called out from the kitchen, remembering how bare it was.

As quickly as he left Leorio was back, "Here," he hands the cup of water to Kurapika, "if that's all for tonight I'll take my place on the couch."

When the man returned with water, Kurapika took his medicine and nodded. “I believe that’s all...I’ll see you in the morning, then.”

"See you in the morning, Kurapika," Leorio says with a two-finger salute. "Sleep tight." Leorio said gently as he closes the door behind him separating the two of them.

Kurapika got in his bed, sighing as he struggled to get comfortable. He grabbed a book from his nightstand but unfortunately, he couldn’t focus on the story. His eyes kept drifting to his bedroom door where he knew the other man was on the other side. Kurapika’s thoughts on Leorio were… Complicated to say the least. This stranger that the family sent him was brash with an overfamiliar attitude but also somehow kind and caring.

With a deep sigh Kurapika put his book back on the nightstand next to Pairo’s eyes. He turned on his side to stare at the vatted eyes of his friend and address them, “What do you think, Pairo?” Kurapika waited for a response that would never come until he fell asleep.

While on the other side of the door Leorio sighed deeply calming his overactive heartbeat. This was going to be harder than the hospital. He was in Kurapika's apartment pretending to be a mob doctor for Christ sake.

A part of Leorio took sick pleasure in taking care of Kurapika, maybe it would be better if Kurapika had his memories. He'd still be stubborn about someone taking care of him, but Leorio could still make familiar jokes at his own expense to cool Kurapika off.

The image of Kurapika’s gentle face from moments ago passed through Leorio’s mind. Had the other man blushed when he was taking off his shirt or did Leorio imagine that?

_Stop that,_ Leorio snapped himself out of thought. He couldn’t think of his friend like that, but they weren’t even friends anymore. What were they now? Patient and med student? Mafia boss and his fake doctor? Kurapika and the stranger who loves him?

_Wait no._ That thing Sadaso said in the tattoo parlor still fucked him up.

Leorio pushed off Kurapika's bedroom door with an internal scream, he really had to clear his head. He grabbed the keys off the hook and headed out into the night for drugs. Prescription drugs that is.

**Author's Note:**

> Is Chrollo out of character? Good, I hate him. He has no personality so I gave him one.


End file.
